Aldi just redesigned its stores and now it feels a lot like Whole Foods

Aldi is taking aim at Whole Foods. Business Insider/Hayley Peterson The discount grocery chain Aldi is taking aim at Whole Foods with a new store design.

Aldi is ramping up its rollout of a new design that looks almost identical to Whole Foods' cheaper chain of stores called 365 by Whole Foods.

On Monday, the grocery retailer announced it is opening more stores that feature the new design after stores that utilize the layout outperformed traditional Aldi locations. The retailer is spending more than $1.6 billion to revamp stores and open locations with the updated format.

The Aldi stores' new design features softer lighting than its older stores, as well as a larger fresh produce section, wider aisles, and electronic displays on the walls.

Here's what one in Richmond, Virginia, looks like:

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The new Aldi store looks similar to its older stores on the outside.

Business Insider/Hayley Peterson

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But stepping inside, it feels much different. The lighting is softer and more natural, and the aisles are wider.

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Permanent eye-level shelving fixtures are everywhere in the new store. In the older stores, shown below, many items are stacked on top of each other in cardboard boxes instead of placed on shelves.

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Spotlights in the new store help make the fresh produce section a central focus.

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The produce area is much larger than in Aldi's other stores.

Business Insider/Hayley Peterson

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Like in other stores, most of the produce is sold in bulk packaging.

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It looks similar to this 365 by Whole Foods store in Los Angeles, which is about the same size as Aldi and also features metal, eye-level shelving fixtures and a centrally located produce section.

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At the new Aldi, there's a large refrigerated section devoted to produce.

Business Insider/Hayley Peterson

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Fruit, salad greens, and vegetables are available, as well as premade dips and soups.

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Like at 365 by Whole Foods, there's no deli at the Aldi store, but there are tons of packaged cheeses and meats to choose from.

Refrigerators line the store.

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365 by Whole Foods, shown here, has the same setup with the produce section in the middle of the store and frozen and refrigerated items on the perimeter of the store. Both stores also have very limited signage.

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Unlike 365, however, Aldi sells home goods like pillows and holiday decorations.

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Aldi, which is about 30% cheaper than Walmart, is growing rapidly. The chain has about 1,600 stores in the US with plans to add another 500 in the next couple of years. 365 by Whole Foods has six stores with plans to add 16 more in the next year.